Improvement in car-couplings



0122.) WILLIAM H'. SKIDMORE.

Improvement in Car Coupling.

No. 122,070. Patented Dec. 19,187T.

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UNITED STTES PATENT 0FFIGE,

WILLIAM H. SKIDMORE, OF SECOR, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,070, dated December 19, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SKIDMORE, of Secor, in the county of W'oodford and State of Illinois, have invented an Improved Oar-Coupling; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views, representing the coupliu g as seen from different points. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, one of the braces having been partially broken away to reveal the construction of the devices behind it.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawing indicate the same parts.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of railroad-car couplings in the following particulars, viz.: first, to com bine the double-hook coupling with the old-fashioned link and-pin draw-head in a convenient and practicable manner; second, to improve the construction of the guide and the block over which the hooks engage; and third, to provide a convenient and simple device by which. either the hooks or the old-fashioned link and pin can be employed Without going between the cars. To this end the invention consists in the construction and combination of the several devices, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing, A A are the old-fashioned draw-heads having the link-and-pin couplings. Each draw-head is provided with an independent coupling-hook, B, secured to its side by a stout bolt, 1), so that the projecting end of the hook can rise and fall to uncouple or couple the cars. On the opposite side each drawhead has attached to it a fixed inclined guide, 0, which raises the hook of the approaching car and dt rects it to the proper point, where it drops over and engages with a square block, 6, supported by and free to revolve upon a stout bolt, d. The bolts 1) d are braced by strong iron plates 1) w and the inclined guide. 0 is also braced by an iron bar, a, bolted to the side of the draw-head at i. A spring, 8, is arranged above the block 6 to hold the coupling-hooks down securely upon it when the train is in motion. The hook-coupling is thus double, one hook and one guide and draughtblock being attached to each drawhea-d. To uncouple this doubleacting apparatus without gocan strike and lift the end of the hook engaged with said block. The other hook extends through a slot, m, in the plate. An arm, m, of the plate extends up to the top of the car, where it is con- I nected to a lever, a, by which it can be raised or lowered from the top of the car. Another lever, n, is provided lower down, by which the plate can be similarly raised or lowered by a person standing at the side of the car. When the oldfashioned link and pin are used the head of the pin can be attached, by a wire, cord, or projecting arm to the rod 121/ or the levers; and thus, by a movement of either lever 11, or n, both hooks can be simultaneously raised or lowered; or, when the pin and link are used instead of the hooks, the pin can be raised and lowered and the coupling or uncoupling efi'ected with the utmost convenience and safety to the employs. If it is desired to hold the hooks or pin up out of the way, the handle of the lever 12/ can be fastened down by a pin, 1), provided for the purpose.

One of the important advantages of this apparatus is that it does not dispense with the oldfashioned draw-head, which can be used with the cars of foreign roads, but, employing that drawhead as a base or supporting block, it combines therewith an improved automatic double-acting coupling and a device for operating the same in the quickest and most convenient manner, without any exposure of the workman to danger. The revolving block 0 facilitates the passage of the hook to its proper place when coupling, but, as the shoulder of the hook is longer than half the diameter of the block, the latter does not turn on its shaft when the hook is once engaged over it. The brace a not only supports the lower end of the fiangeguide against backward pressure, but also aids in supporting the end of the bolt d, which passes through a flange of the guide. The block 0 may be rigidly fixed to the side of the draw-head so as not to revolve, but the other construction is preferable. The guide 0, extending down to a considerable distance below the draw-head, enables cars of different heights to be readily coupled. The length and inclination of the guide may be varied at the will of the constructor. It is, preferably, to be inade Wider at 2. The combination of the brace 10, the brace the lower than at the upper end, and With side w, the guide 0, the block e, the bolts b d i, and

flanges as shown. v the draw-head A, all constructed and connected,

Having thus described my invention, I cla11n as herein described and shown. 1. The car-coupling herein described, consist- WILLIAM H. SKIDMORE.

ing of the draw-head A, the hooks B, the guides G, the braces u v w, the parts 8 e, and the lifting Witnesses:

device M n n, all constructed, arranged, and con- N. K. ELLsWORTH,

nected, substantially as andfor the purposes here- MELVILLE CHURCH. (122) in set forth. 

